Memories in the Dust
by Mugetsu Ookamiza
Summary: POST FINAL EP! part 1:walking home a young man finds a dog being abused. part 2: a young man seeks out a forgotten memory.
1. Puppy Love

Author: Mugetsu, a.k.a. Weazul  
Title: Puppy Love  
Rating: G  
Pairing: n/a  
Warnings/Spoilers: post episode 30  
Disclaimers: nope, I don't own Wolf's Rain or the characters.  
Author's Notes: this fic is written in first person point of view from Hige's perspective.

a big thanks to the folks on wrbadficmock on LiveJournal for betaing this for me! I do have some possible ideas for making this part one of a series, but I'd need help and prodding if I do follow that route.

the series title, "Memories in the Dust" comes from something I read in an old 70's sci-fi novel. I don't remember the exact quote and what it was ganked from, but it was something like, "Ashes to Ashes and dust to dust. But dust remembers the dream which stirred it."

* * *

I don't know why I took a shortcut home that day - I just did. As I passed by an alleyway I heard something I was quite familiar with from my earlier days at school - the sound of children taunting something that couldn't defend itself.

Curiosity moved me, as well as the urge to end their cruelty if possible, and I walked down the alleyway closer to them to see what sort of trouble they were up to. Their cruel laughter became louder and I heard a stick strike a body, then a yelp followed by a low growl.

"Heh, you can't hurt us, but we can hurt you," a young boy cruelly said as he struck at the shaggy black dog he and his two friends seemed to have cornered for a second time. His friends laughed as the dog tried to back out of the range of the stick.

Rage suddenly exploded within me, how dared they strike that dog! "Hey!" I yelled, startling them. "Whaddaya think you're doing!"

Like most bullies caught in the act by someone older than them there was fear on their faces and they tried to flee. I had managed to grab one, the one who had the stick, by the shirt as he passed by. "Whose dog is that, the one you've been torturing?" I snarled. I wanted to hit the little punk, but that would have made me as bad as him.

"That thing? It's just some stray mutt," he answered, as if he expected that to be enough justification for his actions. So it was a stray. No one to care for it, to take it to the vet to see if it was okay after the abuse it went through. Or maybe it just managed to slip its collar and run loose, with someone looking for it.

Slowly I walked closer to the dog, poor thing wasn't just cornered, it was tied up to a pipe. It backed up cautiously as I moved closer as it unsure if I would try to hurt it or not. I knelt down and sat there for a moment and hoped it would decide I wasn't gonna do to it what those brats had done. As I waited I studied the dog. It looked a little wolfish, so it probably had some husky or some other spitz breed in it. With eyes that blue, I think I'd lean towards husky, maybe malamute, those sometimes have eye like that.

The dog relaxed a bit and I slowly held out my hand. "It's okay, Blueeyes," I softly tell the dog. "I just wanna make sure you're okay." The dog cautiously crept closer, ears laid back still not quite sure if I was a friend or not, its tail wagged tentatively as if it hoped I was. "That's it, c'm on," I encouraged softly. It sniffed then gently nudged my hand with its nose. When I did nothing it nudged it again, trying to get me to pet it, its tail wagged even more. I laughed and scratched the dog behind its ears.

"Yeah, see? I'm friendly. Now let's get you untied." I moved closer to the dog to work the rope off from around the dog's neck. The moment it was off the dog knocked me over, wagging its tail while it nuzzled and licked my face.

I laughed again and scratched the dog affectionately. "This is quite a thank you!" I carefully sat up, it - no, she, the dog was female - backed up slightly and titled her head as she watched me, her tail still wagged behind her. I moved over to the rope and untied it from the pipe to create a makeshift collar and leash. I undid the slipknot then moved back over to the dog.

Her ears went back and she looked like she was tempted to bolt. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna hurt ya," I soothe. She let me come over to her and I measured her neck and redid the slipknot so it couldn't tighten on her too much. I slipped it on and she backed up, but seemed to relax as she realized it wouldn't pull too tight. "See?"

I stood up and started the rest of the way home, dog in tow, tail wagging away behind her. If she was a stray, a nice dog like her needed a home, if she was lost, then someone should find her owners.

Hmm... if no one claimed her maybe I could keep her. That'd be nice, as I loved the dog already. It felt right walking around with her, there was something almost, I guess you could say, nostalgic about it.

That was two years ago. Mom and Dad were upset that I'd brought a stray home, but the dog soon won them over. We called her Blueeyes for a few weeks while we tried to see if she had an owner. When no one claimed her Mom agreed to let me keep her. Now we just call her Blue.

I've just begun my third year of High School, and I've made some interesting friends. I've never met them before, but it feels like I have.

Sometimes, when I sit down against the wall in my room and Blue lays out beside me I feel sad for a moment. Some vague not-quite-memory, as unclear as a memory of something recalled momentarily in a dream, surfaces for a moment.

Then I look down at Blue and pet her on the head. As she looks up at me, wagging her tail and smiling a canine grin I can't help but smile despite that ghost of sadness.

God, I love that dog.


	2. Memory of a Flower

Title: Memory of a Flower  
Author: Mugetsu/Weazul  
Rating: G  
Pairings: Kiba/Cheza  
Spoilers: post ep 30  
Warnings: if you haven't seen the end this'll make no sense and spoil stuffage  
Disclaimer: nope, don't own Kiba or Cheza...  
Summary: after his rebirth Kiba is plagued by a feeling of loss and wishes to find out what the cause is...  
Drabble Challenge: #5- Obsession  
Notes: Kiba's POV. Originally written for a drabble fic challenge.

* * *

Something is missing. Something I long to find.

It's not like Mom and Dad haven't done their best to see that I grew up happy. I haven't been neglected at all. Nor is it any problems in school. My grades are good and have many friends there.

Still, deep within my soul I can't help but feel something very important is missing. I end up wandering in my spare time, hoping to find what it is, because of that.

In my wanderings I pass an alley, for a moment I smell something that makes that empty place ache even more. I begin to run, spurred on by the scent.

I run so hard I can feel my heart beating against my chest and my sides ache. I can't stop running. I don't -want- to stop running, not until I find that missing thing.

Suddenly I fall to my knees, completely exhausted. What is it I've lost that won't let me spirit rest? What is it I seek?

The scent floats on the breeze and I smell it yet again. The ache comes once more as the sense of loss intensifies. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears.

Scents and images try to force themselves forward. The crisp scent of snow, a canine musk, the perfume of a flower...

A word - or is it a name - rests on the tip of my tongue. I can almost voice it, but not quite.

I want to be able to voice it, yet I'm scared to as well. Will it ease the ache or make it stronger? Or perhaps both.

My eyes widen. Even with my inner turmoil part of me still relentlessly sought out that name. That subconscious part was driven so obsessively that even if my conscious mind fully wanted it to stop it couldn't make it.

At that moment I remembered. I saw a face - her face. Her pale hair, red eyes, and kind smile. I remembered her touch. My heart felt as if it could shatter. Then, not even a second later, my mouth moved.

"Cheza," I said softly. Little more than a whimper, so quiet anyone passing by could be able to hear. Still, despite it's softness, it shook my very being so great it hurt.

Then my tears fell free.


End file.
